


A spark of joy (Sylar/reader - gender neutral)

by Callendra



Category: Heroes (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dubious Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, M/M, Mentions of PTSD, Smut, Taunting, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-07 21:40:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10370037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Callendra/pseuds/Callendra
Summary: (spoilers season 3) Sylar is interested in your ability, but for a specific reason, he changes his methods and doesn't go for killing you.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there, this is the first chapter of my Sylar/reader. I hope you will enjoy it. Comments are always delightful to read, even critism when it is constructive. Have a good reading!
> 
> PS: Sylar's OST for the ambiance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur96u_vHSzk

                                                                       

 

You were walking in the sun-bathed street of Washington DC. The city was vibrating with sound and color, at least it was the way it appeared to you at that moment. You felt light, lively; and in a generous mood.

Your gaze was roaming around, going from face to face. More often than not, you spotted focused, tensed, distracted expressions and occasional smiles and even laughs. Most people there clearly didn't radiate with joy.

Across from you, a middle aged woman was walking with her eyes cast down, her shoulders hanging low: it made you frown. You stared at her intensely for a second only to see a bright smile lighten up her face. It reached your lips like a shock-wave and you grinned a little as you passed her by.

You continued your journey, bringing smiles to visibly depressed people's faces. There were this old man and this teenage girl and this kid, all going from numbness to joy seemingly for no reason. It had taken quite some time for you to realize it was your doing, and now you felt like a little ephemeral angel from time to time. It felt fulfilling.

Sitting on a bench was a man with a blank face except for his glistening hazel eyes. It seemed he was on the verge of tears. Your stomach tightened at the sight of his vulnerability, triggering your empathy. You sighed and smiled as he closed his eyes and tilted his head back, his full lips curling up into a toothy blissful smile. You took that opportunity to take in his features: those thick eyebrows, this strong nose and this slicked back dark hair. He was attractive, especially in that graced moment. You contemplated him a second longer before you turned your gaze away and kept walking.

 -----

A few days passed. It was the late morning and you had just finished giving a massage in the spa you worked for. You just had the time to wash your hands and pay your money in when your phone rang.

“Good morning, this is Bliss spa, ___ speaking.” you said friendly.

“Hi ____. I would like to take an appointment.” a deep male voice replied. “Are you available this afternoon?”

“Absolutely. Is 2pm alright for you? Depending on the massage you choose, it will be one hour to one and half hour long. I will just need your name.”

“Gabriel Gray.” You went over all the massages you offered and he picked one.

By the time the clock ticked 2pm, you were ready to start the session. A subtle lavender fragrance filled the dimly lit room, and a soft music was playing in the background. You waited at the reception and when the door rang open your eyebrows rose as you recognized the newcomer almost instantly. The attractive guy sitting on the bench, a couple of days ago. He was taller than you had previously thought. A smile brightened your face.

“Hi, you must be Mr Gray.” you greeted him warmly. He offered you a little affable smile. There was a little spark shining in his hazel eyes, an intensity that awoke excitement in your belly.

“I am indeed. You must be ___.”

You nodded and finally led him to your work room. There you invited him to remove his clothes and lie down on the table, just his boxers on. You gave him some privacy before you came back and covered him with a thin drape. You admired his backside for a second, thinking that he was even more attractive than you imagined. It was going to be a pleasant moment, for you both.

After around half an hour of rubbing and caressing his back and legs, you gently asked him to roll over. Then you went on with your massage, moving on to his right arm. He gazed up at you once and you caught his eyes. He seemed to be thoughtful. You smiled at him, asking if the pressure was alright, and since he agreed you fell silent again and continued. His skin was warm, soft and flawless. Immaculate even. It was a real pleasure to run your fingers over his body without having to worry about tensions, articulations weakness or problems of any kind, because he didn't have any. You looked up at his face to see his eyes were closed. He looked peaceful, relaxed. It was a nice change with the first time you saw him. You were delighted to be able to do this for him, and you hadn't even used your ability yet. You stared at him intently, and suddenly the same blissful smile took over his full lips and he emitted an uncontrolled cheerful laugh. This was what you did it for. You grinned a little to yourself before you noticed his eyes on you, you offered him a smile. He seemed to be returning it to you, but somehow you rather thought it was the remnant of his joy.

The second half hour passed by quickly. Mr Gray had remained silent the whole time, except for the few little laughs he had let out when you had used your ability. You left him to himself for a moment and came back when he was fully redressed.

“I hope you are satisfied. It will be sixty dollars, Mr Gray.” you stated with a smile.

“I am very satisfied.” he assured and for a second he seemed lost in thought again, hesitant. “I am afraid I forgot the money, is it alright if I come back?” he looked apologetic, his thick eyebrows a little knitted. You pursed your lips.

“Sure, I'll wait here.” you nodded and watched him leave, wondering if he was really going to pay. After all, he could simply walk out the door and never come back. Your boss wouldn't be exactly ecstatic. Asking for the money up-front could have been a good idea.

So you waited at the reception. Five minutes passed, then five more. You were starting to come to terms with it when the door rang again. You offered Mr Gray a surprised smile as he extended the money to you. He seemed to catch your stupefaction.

“You should ask for the payment before you perform a service.” he commented with a glint in his eyes, which were still intense on you.

“My thought exactly.” you let out a silent chuckle. “Thank you.”

“If I didn't pay, I couldn't come back. That would be a shame.” there was some kind of a cryptic tone to his voice. Or something flirtatious. You blinked a few times, feeling a little tingling sensation. You smiled at him.

“That's quite true.” You both agreed on another appointment for the next day.

\------

Gabriel straightened and sat on the edge of the massage table, his piercing gaze fixed on you. You had just rubbed his skin with warm oil for an hour, spiced up with two or three sparks of joy. He got down, took the towel you extended to him and rubbed his hairy, softly muscular chest. Meanwhile you were tidying up, trying not to ogle him openly. So you didn't see the amused and mischievous smirk plastered on his lips. But you could feel his attention on you. You couldn't say you didn't enjoy it.

“You are really gifted.” he stated in his deep, slightly breathy voice, now fully redressed. You caught a misplaced undertone to his voice, but didn't really acknowledge it. You let out a quiet laugh.

“Well thank you, Mr Gray. Although it's more about work than talent. I practiced a lot before I could massage like this.”

It was Sylar's turn to laugh and much like his smile, it held a touch of amusement and hidden knowledge. He brushed the massage table lightly as he sauntered closer, shaking his head meaningfully, still smiling. “I am not talking about your massages.”

You frowned, your smile fading. “Then you'll have to be more specific because I don't get it.” Your heartbeat was quickening with his approach, now that he had dropped his warm demeanor. He suddenly radiated with an intimidating aura. You were starting to wonder who the fuck this man was.

“I don't need my ability to know you're lying, but it just tickled anyway.” he seemed to be exulting and mocking at the same time. Surely your face showed how unsettled you suddenly felt. “We both know I am referring to your capacity to create a joyful feeling.” He stared at you knowingly, his eyebrows slightly raised and this now unnerving smile still on his lips.

You took a step back towards the door, your cautious gaze not leaving his. “How can you possibly know something like that?” you asked carefully, your voice dripping with your lack of confidence.

“Staring at pathetic people and smiling when they suddenly show unexpected joy isn't exactly subtle. It was way too easy to make you test it on me.” he revealed, his eyebrows arching again.

You suddenly felt betrayed, angry even, to realize it had all been an act. His friendly behavior too. You composed yourself a stern expression, but you feared hurt was still noticeable in your eyes. “What do you want, Mr Gray? If that's even your name.” You inquired, your tone accusatory. You reached the door handle and gripped it firmly.

“That will depend on your next words, ___.” he replied just as you rotated the handle. Only to feel it violently jerk back into place. You let out a yelp of surprise and tried to move it again, but it didn't budge this time. A shiver ran through your entirely body, your eyes widening. “I really advise you not to scream.” he added, now less than six feet away from you. You were actually too afraid to scream, especially with the now dark gleam in his hazel eyes. Your throat tightened. “Now tell me, how does your ability work? And don't lie to me.”

You swallowed the lump in your throat and exhaled a bit shakily. “I don't know... I focus on someone and think about giving them joy. That's all... Why?”

His eyes narrowed slightly and he stepped a little closer. You pressed yourself against the door. “Does it work on you?” he stressed the last word slightly, revealing it was his main concern.

You frowned in complete bewilderment. How was this any relevant? “Hum, no. I can't, it doesn't work on me.” No tickling feeling.

“Try.” he simply ordered and stared at you expectantly. You were about to protest when you felt yourself pinned against the door, your limbs no longer responding, locked in place. “Don't make me waste my time.” he sighed with growing annoyance.

So you closed your eyes and focused on yourself. As nothing happened for the next minute of oppressive silence, you looked back up at him, shaking your head. “Nothing.”

For a moment, annoyance crossed Sylar's features before he studied you thoughtfully. “Then you will have to come with me.”

Your expression instantly displayed start and disbelief. “What? With you? So I can give you a daily dose of joy?” You were beginning to sound outraged.

“Precisely.” he tilted his head forward explicitly. “Now will you cooperate or will I have to make you?” The glint in his hazel eyes told you that he wouldn't hesitate a second to force you.

You remained silent for a short moment, your eyes locked with his. You already knew that you weren't the only one with a particularity, but you didn't think some people could have more than one. Lie detector? Telekinesis? Was that all? You couldn't take the risk to anger him, you didn't need the guilt of putting others at risk, nor did you want to get harmed. You nodded fearfully. “I will do what you want.”

“Good. Then turn around and get into the black car parked in front of the spa.” he instructed, raising one eyebrow, and you felt the stillness leave your body.

You glanced at him one last time before you grabbed your bag and jacket and exited the establishment. Fortunately – or not you weren't so sure – you didn't come across any of your colleagues. You sat down onto the passenger seat and eyed your abductor as he started the engine.

“Where are you taking me?” you asked hesitantly, turning to him to see him looking at the road.

“On a little trip. The only thing you have to be concerned about is giving me joy.” he replied evenly, almost detached.

“That sounds like something else entirely.” you grumbled, crossing your arms, not at all at ease. Although you were looking through the windshield you noticed Sylar looking at you with a smirk just before he drove off.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylar leads you somewhere he can take advantage of your ability and pursue his plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter is out. Enjoy!

                                                                                  

 

The ride was quiet, except for the rock music coming from the radio. Nervousness hadn't left you since the moment you followed him out of the room. He on the other hand, seemed... normal. Not bothered by any of this. But then again of course he wasn't. He didn't return any of your glances, but he didn't seem anxious or anything. Your imagination was running a little wild as you were wondering what other abilities he had in store. Teleportation? Invisibility? Telepathy? Your eyes widened a little as you realized he might be invading your thoughts at that very moment. You stared at him suspiciously and worryingly, this time drawing his attention to you. He glanced at you sideways with a raised eyebrow. His smirk reappeared as he turned his eyes back to the road.

“What's going on in this storming brain of yours?” he asked mockingly. You frowned up at him, thinking he might not be a mind reader after all. Reassuring much. “No answer? It's not like I could peek into your head to take it out.” he turned to you again, smirking. “Or could I? Or is it that I am just devilishly clever?” He pursed his lips and opened his eyes wider for a second for emphasis. And now he was just intentionally messing with you. He chuckled with amusement, turning away from you again.

You gritted your teeth as you kept observing him. You had the feeling that he would be getting on your nerves very quickly. He was going to keep taunting you, to use you, and there was very little you could do at the moment. Not while you knew so little of his powers, so little of his personality. So, for now at least, you would have to swallow your frustration. You felt like you had so many questions to ask, but you weren't sure you really wanted to know the answers.

Sylar parked in front of a residential building in the suburbia. He urged you to follow him, keeping a close eye on you, but he looked confident you wouldn't try to run away. Not with his puppeteer skills. You entered a flat on the second floor, looking around with a sad gleam in your eyes. There was no decoration, no extra furniture to embellish the place. Nothing to give you any hint about the man's life. As if this was a momentary hideout, just a place to crash at night. Which meant he could be on the run. Possibly wanted by the police for abductions, or worse. You swallowed again, chewing on your lip anxiously. When he'd turn his back on you you could get your phone and call for help. And take the risk to put someone else and yourself in harm ways? Too soon, too dangerous. This kind of thoughts was dangerous.

“Get used to this flat, you are not getting out of here unless I say so.” his deep voice rose.

You faced him to see him gazing at you expectantly. He didn't seem to be waiting any answer, rather to make sure you understood the situation. “I will have to come out eventually, if only to give my relatives some news.” you retorted almost matter-of-factly.

“You'd rather tell them now that you'll be unreachable for some time and that you will contact them when you can. It would be unfortunate to drag them into this because of too many questions.” he frowned meaningfully before he tilted his head towards your abandoned bag on a chair.

He sat down on the brown sofa in the large living room, and examined you while you searched for your phone through your bag. You dialed your mom's number with apprehension: she had always been the anxious one. You feared she was going to question you, that you would let some details slip and Gray would be unsatisfied. Luckily, you reached her voicemail and kept it quick and simple: you were going to be very busy and you'd be the one calling. Then you moved on to your father, and a few friends. Hearing some familiar voices was a comfort. Once you were done, you turned back to him. He lifted his hand then, pointing his finger at the device, and it started to levitate. You frowned in a mix of amazement and worry, only for it to be replaced with powerlessness and anger as you saw him take your phone apart with his telekinesis. Every electronic piece of your device floated in the air for a second longer before it flew right into the sink and the tap poured water into it. You stared at it with regret and bitterness.

“It really wasn't necessary.” you grumbled.

“Oh but I think it was. Now do what I brought you here for.” he commanded, staring intently at you with his fingers under his chin.

You flashed him a poisonous look, squinting your eyes, but he seemed perfectly fazed. A little impatient maybe. You closed your eyes and sighed, only opening them again after you heard a long exhalation coming from him. His sparkling eyes were fixed on yours, a genuine delighted smile on his full lips. You caught yourself wondering how it could have been if this glimpse of sincerity matched his true personality.

“You would drop your grumpy attitude if you realized how lucky you are. I don't usually do this.” he remarked, his hand back under his chin, the same infuriating smirk on his lips.

You rose your eyebrows at him a bit defiantly. “I don't see how I am lucky to be your prisoner.”

“You are alive.” he simply replied, staring intently for a second before he shrugged, sporting a pout of fake detachment. He got up and walked to the door. “Do I need to lock all the windows?”

You sighed and shook your head. “No, you don't.”

“Good. Keep in mind that your granted freedom depends on your behavior.” he affirmed, giving you a significant look. And with that he exited the apartment.

You glanced around you for a moment, at first considering just walking out the door. But there was no way he was just blindly trusting you. Perhaps was he waiting behind a corner to see if you were going to try and play him already. You had to gain a bit of his trust first, or at least to get him to lower his guard, if that was doable. You walked to one of the living room windows, looking down at the busy street. He was crossing the road, heading you knew not where. He turned his head around and spared you a quick glance. It made you feel disarmed, powerless. To note that he seemed to be two steps ahead no matter what.

You roamed around, wishing to put your phone back together at first, only to give up seeing how the different parts were now stewing in the dirty dishes. Just great. And you had nothing to do: no internet, no books, no distraction from your new and very uncomfortable situation. Until you remembered your iPod was in your bag. At least it would help pass the time until he came back. So you fetched it and slouched on the sofa.

A few hours passed like this, until you heard the front door being unlocked and steps echoing on the wooden floor. You removed your earphones and looked up. You caught the satisfied gleam in his eyes, thinking you weren't sure if this was a good thing or not. For you, probably. You also noticed the paper bag in his hand, from which exuded an appetizing scent of Indian food.

“Had a nice time? Not too overbooked?” he inquired sarcastically as he sat on an armchair to your right. You only replied with a defying, fake smile. “I'm gonna give you something to do then. Give me my-aaah...” his sentence morphed into a beatific moan, followed by a chuckle.

You observed him a second in this joyful state, it struck you very differently compared to the first time you saw this expression on his face. You couldn't help but wonder if he could have seduced you had he kept up the pretense. You looked away from him before you spoke up.

“What did you mean by I am lucky to be alive? What do you usually do...?” you asked quietly. Although the answer scared you, you didn't wish to be in the dark.

He remained silent a short moment, both to fully enjoy the joyful feeling and to study you. “I usually opt for a more brutal solution. I generally don't need people to keep breathing to get what I want.” he confessed, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

You frowned, feeling your stomach knotting. “You asked me, specifically, if it worked on myself. And I know you have at least two abilities: lie detector and telekinesis. Or at least one of them. Do you... usually steal people's powers?” You had no idea how that was possible, but it made sense considering what you thought you knew of him and his intentions.

He raised his eyebrows, pleasantly surprised by your insightful suppositions. “If you really want to know what I usually do... I pin them against a wall before I open up their skull to look into their brain.” he said, staring at you to drink in your reaction. Your eyes widened in shock and you exhaled a bit shakily through your nose. He pursued. “My ability is to understand how things work. How every gear must be placed for the mechanism to run. A watch... a phone... a brain. Once I know how it works, I can do it. It used to be a need, now it's a desire.” His gaze seemed vague for a second, as if reliving some old memories.

“So... if I had been able to use my power on myself... I would be dead with my skull open.” you summarized slowly, as if weighting every word.

“Do you feel luckier now?” he rose one eyebrow, his insistent hazel eyes on you.

You didn't reply, just staring at him with an accusatory and fearful gaze for a few seconds, before you looked away with a tense smile. This time you were sure: this man was a psychopath. You had to be very careful. He had been in control the whole time, and you didn't want to discover what would happen if he was to lose it.

“Where did you go... earlier?” you asked quietly. Again, you weren't sure if it was judicious to interrogate him like this, but you actually couldn't help yourself.

“I just delivered a little present to a friend.” he replied cryptically, smirking with one eyebrow raised, staring at you. His attention was growing more and more disturbing.

“And by that you mean something awful... of course.” you commented, which made him laugh.

He got up again and walked to the open kitchen, where he brought the paper bag and tore its top to take the content out and into plates. You remained silent in the meantime, just watching. He quickly came back, glancing up at you. Judging by the look on his face, he didn't dislike your attention, it amused him. Perhaps he thought he had found himself an entertainment to come 'home' to. He put the plates down on the coffee table, sat back on the armchair, and dug into his chicken and rice. For a short moment he ate silently, and so did you, before his voice rose again.

“Any other questions? Reflections?” Yes, clearly you were his little outlet.

“No I am alright, thank you.” you retorted with a touch of defiance.

“I have one for you. Have you ever been approached by Noah Bennet?” As you showed a sign of incomprehension, he leaned forward with exaggerated eagerness. “Glasses, short hair, a face you'd like to bash in. Doesn't ring any bell?” As you shook your head, he continued. “He and I share a special history. If by any chance he knocks on this door while I am out, you have no idea who I am and he found the wrong address. However, since you are a model citizen, you will take his phone number and his current location to make sure you can be of assistance if any news come up.” he was eyeing you insistently, no longer taunting or sarcastic, clearly ordering you.

You stared at him with concern, wondering what plans he had for this man. “What if... I am unable to lie to him?” Under pressure, you were likely to betray Sylar, even unwillingly.

He studied you a second. “If you can't be convincing, then keep him here until I come back.” he instructed, staring at you with slightly furrowed eyebrows.

You pursed your lips and nodded, not adding anything. You had never been confronted to such a situation. You had no idea how well you would perform. What you were sure of, was that you wanted to be on his good side. So you concentrated your ability again. It was nearly with utter indifference that you watched him revel into the joyful feeling. Your gaze lowered to his neck as he rested his head on the back of the armchair, but you forced it away quickly. You didn't want to find him attractive. He had already too much influence on you. Yet you caught the spark in his eyes as he looked back at you, clearly satisfied. Oh he must have been so pleased. Infuriating to think so.

You spent the rest of the evening separately, you listening to your music and trying not to overthink, he searching for whatever on his laptop. If only you could lay your hands on it, if only to get some distraction. He would probably not allow it. And you didn't want to give him another reason to get sassy again. After some time, he got up and closed the laptop to head to the bathroom. You took this moment to think that there was just one bed, and the sofa you were sitting on. There was no way you'd be sleeping with him. Well, next to him, rather. You shook your head at the clandestine thought. When he came out in nothing but his pajama pants, you looked up. Well, it's not like you hadn't seen him nearly naked before. But not in this situation.

“There is only one bed... where am I going to sleep?” you asked a bit hesitantly.

He stared at you a short moment, before he answered. “As you can surely guess, I will sleep on the bed. Up to you to join me or stay here.”

You pursed your lips and swallowed hardly, unsettled by his curious and amused look. “I'll take the sofa, thank you.” you replied with discomfort. “I will need a few stuff... we didn't get anything from my place.” you added, but he simply replied with a tilt of his head towards the bathroom before he disappeared into the bedroom, leaving the door open.

You got up, your eyes dawdling a little longer onto the dark area beyond the opening where you could just discern a silhouette moving, before you walked to the bathroom. There you found a spare toothbrush and a clean towel. How thoughtful. You took a quick shower and got ready to sleep on the sofa. It took a while for you to fall asleep, your gaze kept roving around the dark room, sometimes stopping for several seconds on the open bedroom.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noah Bennet comes back to Sylar's current flat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: violence and blood in this chapter.  
> Enjoy!

                                                                                

 

A week went by like this. For the longest part of the day, he left you alone in the flat and came back in the evening for his daily dose of joy, food and sleep. He had disappeared for three days once, and it had somehow given you the illusion of normality again. Did he deliver new 'gifts' to his 'friends'? You kept yourself from interrogating him further on these topics, you didn't want to be the unwilling accomplice of his deeds. And after all, he didn't care to let you into his plans. After a couple of days of doing nothing but listening to your music, you started growing bored and restless and began to do the chores. He had caught you washing the dishes and had commented about how fortunate he was to have a thoughtful domestic. Delightful.

So when you heard the doorbell ring and opened the door on a glasses-wearing man, with short hair and a friendly expression on his face, you hesitated. As you smiled at him politely, you thought that you surely looked beautifully ill at ease.

“Good morning. My name is Noah Bennet. I am sorry to bother you, but I am looking for this man. His name is Gabriel Gray, but you might know him under the pseudonym 'Sylar'.” he explained simply, showing off a picture of your abductor. You were very much aware of the man's studying blue gaze on you.

You shook your head, probably a little too quickly, a little too nervously. “I don't know that man.” You could still change your mind, tell the truth. This could be your way out. But you were scared. You stared at him, and he returned your gaze with the utmost calm.

He offered you a little reassuring smile. “It's alright. In case, please take this card.” he extended a little piece of paper to you. “And you are?”

You took the paper card hesitantly – quickly reading the phone number and address – and gave him your full name. “Do you work for the government, Mr Bennet?”

He gave you another smile and nodded. “Something of the sort. We hunt down dangerous people. Don't hesitate to call or come to this address.” he added with one last insistent look before he left.

You stared blankly at the wall opposite the front door for a moment, before you realized how tensed you had grown, and how tightly you had held the paper card. You closed the door slowly, and looked down at the now crumpled paper. You hadn't actually accepted it to obey Sylar. First because you couldn't decently refuse to take this Bennet guy's card, and second because of the escape opportunity it offered you. It was still early in the day, you had time to decide if you were going to hide this from Gabriel. Without knowing if he could really read your mind or not? Sitting back on the sofa, you stared blankly at the floor, your leg trembling frenetically. There was no way this Mr Bennet believed you. You suddenly gripped your shaking leg to force it to stop. You had to tell Sylar... he would see right through you in your current state. Shit... You got up and locked yourself in the bathroom. A shower would hopefully help you relax, and think. You wished very hard that Sylar wouldn't come back that day.

Of course, because the Universe has a great sense of humor, he came back that day. Although you had calmed down, you still didn't feel confident enough to lie to his face. So, when the king sat on his leathery throne next to the sofa, you took the paper card out of your pocket and handed it to him. His satisfied expression showed that he knew exactly what that was. He glanced up at you, his head still bent forward and his smile still on his face.

“What did he say?” he asked expectantly, and a little excitedly.

“That he was looking for you, and that I should contact him if I had new information.”

“That's all?” he insisted, his gaze not leaving yours. Again, its intensity unsettled you. You just nodded, and since he seemed satisfied with your answers, you didn't add anything. “Taking you with me was even more of a good idea than I thought.” he commented, making you sigh in frustration. He didn't add anything, but smirked at your reaction.

Falling silent again, he began to stare at you. You didn't even need him to demand anything, you knew what he was waiting for. So you gave it to him. You closed your eyes when you heard his now familiar cheerful laugh. You felt lonely. You grabbed your iPod again, and thinking you were no longer needed, you confined yourself into a symphonic cocoon.

 -----

A few days went by. The same routine took place every day. The same loneliness during the day, the same taunting or indifference coming from Gabriel, the same daily dose of joy. You were starting to notice something new though: something in Sylar's eyes. Oh the spark of cold calculation was still there shining, but something else had been ignited slowly. It was tiny, but it was there: a new warmth. Or perhaps were you imagining it in your need for consideration? That wasn't the only novelty in his attitude. The innuendos were too. He had never actually tried anything so far, but he had started showing interest for something else than your ability. Though you weren't going to reply to any of it, not if it was in fact just another way to play with you. You wouldn't give him this satisfaction.

You had started noting something else not Sylar-related. Out of boredom, when you had been swamped with your music, you would lean against the window and look down at the street. Sometimes you had induced joy to random passers by, and sometimes you just observed the buzzing life down there. After the second day, you had remarked the white car parked whether on your side of the street or on the other, its passengers often glancing either at the building door, or at your windows. How could Sylar not have noticed them himself? He probably had. He never had mentioned them.

On the fourth day, your eyes widened and you straightened when the passengers decided for the first time to get out of the car and walked to the building door. Adrenaline started rushing through your veins as you knew exactly where they were heading. The doorbell rang. You opened the door with nervousness, to be greeted by Mr Bennet's polite smile. He quickly checked behind you, before he focused back on you.

“This is your chance to get out, ____. Now.” he affirmed firmly, searching into your eyes.

You felt a shiver run through your whole body. You shook your head automatically. “I can't... no...”

“He is distracted somewhere else, this is the right moment. We can protect you.” he cut you off. “You have to come with me now.”

For a moment you looked completely unfazed, blocked. Then you came back to your senses and nodded before you hurried out of the flat and followed the man down the stairs. On your way to the car, you couldn't help but frenetically look around for Sylar with widened eyes. A heavy sigh left your lips the moment you dropped onto the seat at the back of the car. It still felt kinda unreal.

“You made the right decision.” Bennet stated, sitting next to you, smiling slightly. “I will have to ask you a few questions about your... unfortunate roommate. After that you will be placed under protection.”

“He has the card you gave me, he knows where to find you. Us.”

“We know, everything will be alright.” he assured with a nod. You didn't reply but nodded simply. You didn't want to talk more for now.

The more distance the car put between you and the flat, the more you had mixed feelings. You felt lighter not to be his prisoner anymore. But you felt heavier at the thought that he would probably be looking for you. Or for Noah Bennet. And since you were currently together...

The driver parked just in front of the entrance door of a skyscraper. It looked very much like a business building hosting a wealthy company. You had expected to be brought to an underground bunker of some sort, not this. You didn't question any of it though, as you followed Bennet inside and through the corridors. As you both walked along a large open room with multiple high-tech computers, Noah stopped and asked you to wait for him here. You watched him as he entered and walked to a gray haired, nearly bald man, looking very unlikable, dangerous even. They talked a short moment, both glancing at you once or twice, something that didn't fail to unnerve you greatly. Bennet soon joined you again, while the other man stared at you a little longer, and asked you to follow again. He led you to an empty break room and immediately invited you to sit and offered you a hot beverage. He sure as Hell was putting some effort to come off as a nice guy.

“How have you and Sylar met?” he started while setting your hot beverage in front of you. You stared at him a short moment before you looked down at your paper cup. You were clearly on the defensive. “It's alright, ___. You can speak freely here. I used to work for a company that identified and listed people with abilities.”

“Is that supposed to help me open up to you?” you sassed quickly, glancing up at him.

Bennet let out a silent laugh. “Our objective was to help people understand their abilities, and put them away from others if they were dangerous. Like Gabriel Gray.” he pursued. “It is surprising you are still alive. I have been hunting him for a long time, this is unusual for him.”

You remained silent a short moment before you spoke up. “He said that the only reason I was still alive was because my ability would be useless to him if he stole it from me.”

From that point, it was useless to keep anything from Bennet, so you told him everything. When you fell silent again he nodded thoughtfully and smiled at you. He got up and instructed you to follow him. He led you to another room without windows, a simple bench for only furniture. This looked very much like a prison to you. As you turned back to Noah with dread, about to ask what the hell he was doing, he assured you that you were not a prisoner and this was for your own safety. He locked the door behind him, and you sat on the bench slowly, no longer certain that you had made the right decision. At least with Sylar you had a comfy sofa to sit on. At least a man came back not so long after to bring you a cushion, a cover and a book, along with a bottle of water.

A few hours passed, or so you imagined. It was disturbing to lose track of time, and your lingering anxiety didn't help in any way. You were cultivating the hope that those people actually were competent in protecting you and capturing Sylar. They had brought you a sandwich at some point, at least they weren't careless. A scream echoed in a distant corridor. You looked up at the door, suddenly paralyzed, cold sweat breaking on your skin. An alarm started echoing in the building. You flinched and nearly cried out as the door flew open. Bennet came into view and urged you to follow him. You followed hastily, not daring to look behind, or anywhere else than in front of you. You kept hearing screams and loud sounds of impact coming from unknown places in the building. It didn't sound close.

You walked by the computer room again, and this time you couldn't help but look. Your eyes fell on a screen displaying the camera view of a hallway. Sylar was there, surrounded with four commando men. They shot at him but you saw the projectiles stop in mid-air, before the men started to fly around, crashing into the walls. You watched in horror as he used his telekinesis to break a man's neck and slice another man's throat open. From the end of the corridor, you heard Bennet's voice commanding you to come along. You obeyed, your mind feeling numb, your heartbeat thundering.

You both started running when the screaming grew louder, nearer. Bennet was looking nervously thoughtful while he led you through the building. You had been right to be doubtful. And yet there you were. As the screams grew even closer, Noah decided to leave the corridors to cut through rooms instead. He had just opened the door when you heard footsteps approaching fast. You rushed forward, to bump painfully against the door as it closed violently on you. You remained motionless for a second, eyes wide, before you turned around to find Sylar standing at the end of the corridor, staring at you coldly while he was visibly holding a guard under control with his telekinesis. At that moment, you didn't need to be held against the door to be petrified.

He focused back on the man at his mercy and lifted his right hand, index finger pointing at the man's forehead. You couldn't do anything but watch as he sliced his skull open, your ears filled with the bloodcurdling yell escaping his lips. You were threatening to burst into tears of terror. When the dead man collapsed onto the floor with a thud, Sylar's icy glance turned to you. A new commando appeared at the end of the corridor and you jumped as a loud bang rang out. A blood stain spread on the front of Gabriel's white shirt, red leaking from his lips. For a second, you felt light at the thought of being free. Until you saw him take the bullet out of his chest, and the wound resorb. You stared back into his now bloody face with shock: he was unstoppable.

After an angry and annoyed sigh, Sylar tightened his grip around the bullet in his hand and spun around. He threw the bullet back towards his assailant, and it flew right back at him to lodge itself into his forehead and paint the wall in red. Finally he turned back to you, a very frightening expression on his face. You wanted to run, but you were still unable to move. And it was useless. Bennet was awfully quiet on the other side of the door, what the hell was he doing? Sixteen feet, you swallowed hard. Ten feet, your breathing grew deep and shaky. Three feet, your eyes were wet with tears that didn't fall, yet. Although his expression was deadly grim, he didn't look as menacingly angry as you would have expected him to be. He remained silent as he kept staring at you, and he reached for the door handle behind you, before he pushed you in and used his ability to throw you against the wall.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylar has found you in the building, and he confronts you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: More violence.  
> Thanks for the kudos, people. Enjoy!

                                                                            

 

Your back collided with the wall brutally with a loud thud. You cried out in pain and shock, and expected to fall to the ground heavily, but the new impact never came. Instead, you were held in place against the wall. Stunned, you looked around to realize Bennet was nowhere to be seen. He had simply escaped without you. You set your unfocused eyes on Sylar, who was now strolling in your direction, his right hand lifted up towards you. He kept his intense, frightening gaze in your fearful one, walking closer until he was mere inches in front of you. Then, and only then, did a smirk appear on his lips.

“Where is your benevolent savior, ____?” he inquired in his deep, breathy voice, so close to your face, to the point of making you shiver. You could smell his cologne and nearly feel the warmth of his breath.

First you shook your head before you found your voice again. “I don't know.”

He remained silent a second, staring at you. “Do you realize how easy, how tempting it would be to slice your skull open right now?” he stated.

You pursed your lips, your throat and your stomach tightening dreadfully. He brought his hand to his bloody shirt and reached under it where the bullet wound used to be. He gathered some of his blood on his fingers and brought their tips to your forehead to draw a line across it. Even if he had loosened his mental grip on you, you would have been unable to move. You were way too much aware of how thin was the thread of your life. His hand wrapped delicately around your throat and he leaned in closer to your ear. His proximity was intoxicating. And judging by the smirk curling up his lips, he knew perfectly the effect he had on you.

“Congratulations, ____. You almost did a perfect work.” he announced, making you frown in perplexity. You were too numb and afraid to understand.

His smirk widened before he stepped away from you, freed your throat. You felt your body jerk forward out of your control. He made you take a few steps like this, before he released you from his influence, to make you understand you had to follow him out. Still feeling somewhat numb, you just walked mechanically along with him. For a moment, you heard nothing else but the steady alarm and your footsteps, saw nothing but the flickering red lights. Until five commandos and the nearly bald man blocked your way. Sylar didn't waste anytime to neutralize them, forcing their heads to impact violently with the wall. The only one still conscious was the gray-haired man, who stared at Sylar as he passed him by. You glanced at him quickly before you caught up quickly with Gabriel. You were so close to the entrance.

Bennet stood there, his gun pointed towards Sylar with anticipated satisfaction, a black man at his side. You stopped along with Gabriel, wondering how it was going to unfold. Your abductor rose his hand but nothing happened. Nothing except Noah's smile growing wider. Various sets of footsteps were approaching the area. Sylar acted quickly, grabbing you and placing you in front of him, daring his enemy to shoot. He forced you to hurry back along with him, facing the now grimly looking Bennet. He was clearly hesitating, and the unknown man next to him was glancing at him, waiting for his next action. He did nothing for a second, before he shot at his head with gritted teeth. But Sylar had expected it, ducking behind you and avoiding the bullet just in time. The moment you disappeared behind the corner, Sylar flashed Noah one last smirk before he spun around with you and ran, forcing you to follow with his tight grip around your wrist. Coming across a commando, he bumped violently into him to throw him to the ground and crashed his fist into the man's face before he stole his gun. You were staring at him dreadfully.

He shot a few living obstacles on your way out, before he found a fire exit. He made sure you were following before he lifted his hand tentatively towards the door. It flew open. He rushed to the first car he spotted and unlocked it. He sat behind the wheel and examined the dashboard while you also took your seat, more hesitantly. He rose his hand again and the engine roared. He glanced at you quickly before he drove off silently.

After a dozen of minutes, you finally started to relax. You didn't dare glance at him, let alone speak. You were simply looking out the window. You were starting to dwell on the last words he had said to you. He had wanted you to be taken? The bloody scenes you had witnessed came back to your mind suddenly; you forced your eyes shut. You opened them again just when you felt the car stop. You were both in a completely new part of the city. More suburban. You got out of the car with him and silently followed him into the building. The new flat was nothing alike the previous one. It was fully furnished, with personal pictures laying on chests of drawers or shelves. But not ones of Sylar. You didn't say anything, you didn't ask anything. You just looked for the bathroom in order to splash some water on your face, but when you met your reflection in the mirror, your eyes widened as you saw the line of coagulated blood on your forehead. You washed it off immediately.

When you got out, you spotted Gabriel removing his bloody shirt. You stared a second at his chest, where the bullet should have left a hole, but it was immaculate. Now you understood how his body could be so... flawless. You turned away from him and headed to the living room. Distracted by your current thoughts, you only noticed the foot of the table when your own ran into it. You yelped in pain, closing your eyes firmly and breathing heavily. You could feel all your repressed fury boil up in your veins, threatening to come up to the surface.

“You really thought you could escape me? Did you think you could trust Bennet?” his sarcastic voice rose in the living room. You turned around to see him frowning at you mockingly with the same damn smirk on his lips. “He led you exactly were he needed you to be to lure me. You were just a bait. For us both.” You had enough of all this. Your brain was screaming at you to snap out of your current victim role.

“You think you are so special, do you? That you can do whatever the fuck you want with anyone? You think yourself above everything else. Guess what: you are not the only special little snowflake...” You spat at him, anger dripping from your lips like venom.

He frowned at you, tilted his head to the side, his mocking smile still on. “You think you are special? You don't know anything about being special.”

“Perhaps I come off as weak, but I can do something you will never be able to do, even with your multiple stolen abilities. But it is completely insignificant for you, you are too selfish to care. Only your ambitions matter.” All your bitterness was coming out, at that moment any second thoughts were flowing over your head. You just needed to let out all the pressure, to take back some control.

These words seemed to reach him deeper than he thought they would. For a second he looked down, hurt crossing his eyes, before his gaze grew hard again and focused back on you. You just had time to look startled before he grabbed your shoulders firmly and walked you back towards the nearest wall. You gasped loudly when your back hit the surface, unable to look away. Yet he wasn't using his telekinesis this time.

“You are not irreplaceable, don't give me reasons to end this... tragically.” he hissed, a mere inches from your face, all over again.

You swallowed, the only remnant of your anger now being your narrowed eyes and gritted teeth. You didn't retort anything: you couldn't take the risk to test how far you could go before crossing the line.

“I am one open skull away from being a little more special. Keep that in mind.” he finished, keeping his intense gaze on you to make sure he had gotten his message across.

You didn't move or say anything, instead you closed your eyes and focused. You heard him sigh, nearly felt him relax so close he was standing next to you. You opened your eyes to see his own gaze fixed on your lips for a second, before he looked back up. He smirked before he finally released you. You sighed as he stepped away, feeling the stress leaving your body slowly. You kept your eyes on him until he disappeared into the bedroom. You grabbed a book from a shelf and started reading. You wouldn't be able to sleep without a distraction from your current thoughts.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You try to cope with the traumatic events that occurred recently, and Sylar shows an unexpected reaction.

                                                                                  

 

During the week following these traumatic events, you kept waking up at night, soaked in cold sweat and panting. Every time this happened, you curled up on the sofa with a tight grip on your covers, staring unblinkingly at Sylar's bedroom door. You were more and more regretting trusting Noah Bennet as it appeared more and more to you that your situation had worsened. Before all this, Gabriel had talked about his usual methods, but he had never actually threatened you. He had forced you, he had actively intimidated you, but he had never threatened to kill you. The man who had been supposed to help you had just managed to scar your mind.

The only bright side was that because of your fear, you kept sending joy to Sylar without him asking you. And this frequent feeling seemed to have a positive effect on him, at least towards you. Oh he kept taunting you, but you hadn't seen that frightening look in his eyes since your last argument. He didn't act exactly friendly, but not menacingly either. And it also had some effect on you, to see him smiling brightly and hear him let out those cheerful laughs. You were somehow clinging onto it. Despite how unhealthy it was, it was preferable to the crippling dread you had felt.

As the third week began, you caught yourself glancing up at him often with something else than caution. Although you were still scared and marked by the recent events, you had managed to relax a little, thanks to his attitude. And that coupled to the fact that he left you mainly alone during the day – whether he was out of the flat or he minded his own business – made you feel a little more comfortable.

You had no phone – since he had disconnected the landline –, no internet access... basically no one to talk to. Nearly no one. You were starting to feel the need to renew communication with him, although you still feel very much guarded. He had noticed. He hadn't commented on it, but he had remarked the change in your behavior. So one night, he came back with two pizza boxes and put them down on the dinner table. You ate quietly, sometimes feeling Sylar's gaze on you. After a moment, you tentatively broke the silence. You cleared your throat.

“What have you been up to recently?” you weren't actually sure you wanted to know, but it was one way to start the conversation like any other.

He rose an eyebrow first, a little smirk curling up his lips. “I have been looking for someone special. Someone who will help me blend in completely.” he explained a little thoughtfully.

You frowned a little. “You mean invisibility? Or...”

“Shape-shifting.” he finished for you.

You nodded, looking down at your half eaten pizza. “Why do you need to collect all those powers? Why do you want to be so special?”

He frowned sarcastically at you. “Isn't it what anybody wants? Everybody needs to feel that they are not just one unknown face among billions. I am meant to be more than that.” Your face suddenly displayed a sad expression. It seemed to call out to him. He frowned interrogatively. “You disagree?”

You shook your head at first, hesitating. This was delicate. “I find deeply depressing that you would need to gain those powers to feel unique. It's like... you have been hiding behind your incredible abilities so well that you forgot what made you special as a person, really.” you mused aloud.

For the first time, Gabriel openly showed genuine vulnerability. His eyebrows were arched slightly and his lips parted, his eyes a little watery. Suddenly, you feared you had just crossed the line.

He squinted his eyes ever so slightly, but his expression didn't harden so much. “Do not pretend to know me.”

You could hear a little tremor in his voice, letting you know that you had hit right home. Yet, you didn't insist. “Okay.” you agreed quietly, a hint of worry in your voice.

Sylar stared at you silently a little longer, before he got up and walked to the bedroom, closing the door. You hadn't meant to be hurtful, you simply tried to understand who the only person you could communicate with really was. Not a very subtle approach, you had to admit. You stayed there around the table, munching slowly. Perhaps it would be a better idea to wait for him to open up to you. If he was interested in that in any way. After your dinner, you settled for reading on the sofa with a background music coming from the stereo. If at first you had wondered where the owner or the tenant was, you had soon stopped. It wasn't exactly hard to guess, and you'd rather think that he had maybe scared them away, rather than dropped their bodies into a dump or something.

 

The next morning, Gabriel demanded his little spark of joy before he exited the flat. The memories of your last talk kept coming back more often that not and you wondered how you could make things a little better for you. You had started accepting your fate; especially after the fiasco with Noah Bennet. At least you didn't feel guilty for all the people Sylar had killed in that building. He would have done the same thing with or without you. Going through all this had fully revealed to you how futile it was to try and fight him. If it could make this situation a little more enjoyable.

This time, Sylar disappeared for three days in a row. You had been unable to stop yourself from wondering if he had wanted to put distance between the two of you, or if it was simply to carry out his plans. Perhaps a mix of both. As you spent your time with reading and watching TV, at least you succeeded in keeping your thoughts from wandering too much into minefields.

The fourth day, a sudden succession of knocks on the front door stopped you in your reading. Hesitant, you walked to the entrance. The last time – or rather times – this happened, you stepped right into trouble. You opened the door on an unknown face, a blonde woman. You were about to ask her what she wanted, when bumps seemed to start crawling under the skin of her face. You gasped as she morphed into Sylar, rising his eyebrows theatrically at you. So he had become a little more special. You stepped aside for him to enter and closed the door.

“So... you did it. You got what you wanted” you commented quietly.

Stopping in the middle of the hallway he turned back to you, smirking. “That and a little more. I am currently lying at the morgue.” he added. First you looked perplexed, but then you got it.

“The... shape-shifter took your appearance before you...”

He shook his head. “Of course not, if I had opened his skull it wouldn't have been exactly subtle.” he frowned at you meaningfully. “I don't need to do this to take abilities. It is just a little more fun.” he narrowed his eyes with a smile at the end. You shivered.

“I see... you have been busy.”

“I have.” he started walking away before he turned back to you, rising his eyebrows. “Oh by the way, I have some news of Bennet. His marriage isn't looking good.” he wore a fake concerned pout. “I have to admit, destroying someone's life is way more interesting than killing them. It has a significant lasting effect.” You didn't reply anything to that, but he didn't actually give you time to before he continued. “We are moving out to a more suitable location.”

You watched him as he gathered his stuff. Then, as he addressed you a pressing and interrogative look with raised eyebrows, you put on your shoes. You followed him out, noticing just as he opened the car that he was now looking entirely different. This would be tricky to get used to. And if, as he said, everyone else thought him dead, your chances of getting out of this situation had reduced to nothing. You sat on the passenger seat, glancing one last time at the living room window of the flat you had been living in for several weeks.

The moment Sylar closed the door behind you, he reverted into himself. You quickly glanced around your new environment, but it actually left you rather indifferent. Not when you had no idea how long you would actually stay this time.

“Whenever I have agent Taub's appearance, you stay quiet and unnoticed. You don't call me 'Sylar' or 'Gabriel'. Actually, you pretend not to be here.” He instructed, cocking his eyebrows expectantly.

You nodded, and since he kept his eyes on you, you focused on his joy. Like so many times before, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, his nose wrinkled a little as he smiled brightly. Unlike so many times before, your gaze was growing soft. You didn't say anything though, and walked to the sofa to grab a new book. From the corner of your eyes, you saw Sylar's gaze lingering on you, ignorant of the thoughts going through his head, and they were all of a singular nature.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You witness something disturbing and make an unexpected encounter.

                                                                

 

You were in the bathroom when you heard Sylar – or rather Taub judging the sound of his voice – talk to someone at the front door. You stayed where you were, but approached the door to listen. Nothing happened for a short moment, until you heard the sharp sound of shattering glass and a scream of anger. You flinched but forced your mouth closed, repressing a yelp of surprise. Slowly, cautiously, you cracked the door open to peek through the small opening. A multitude of broken pieces of an exploded snow globe of the Eiffel Tower was littered the floor. What you witnessed next was the saddest, most disturbing scene you ever saw. He kept morphing into this kind-looking woman you soon understood was his adoptive mother. You learned more about him in this single moment than during all the weeks you had shared. About his family, his childhood. You couldn't do anything else but watch with irrepressible captivation. For the first time, you actually felt empathetic as you saw him weep the death of his mother. This man was completely broken, and it appeared the only thing Sylar couldn't fix was himself, and it was his tragedy.

It all stopped when there was a knock on the door. Sylar snapped out of his cathartic trance, and you took a step away from the bathroom door. He sounded very shaken when he opened the door. You frowned as you heard a male voice. You hadn't gotten much of the conversation between Bennet and the bald guy, but you had heard enough to be able to recognize his voice. It suddenly made sense to you now why Sylar had spared him in the building. Your face contorted in a grimace of incomprehension. You kept listening, hearing about this 'Rebel'. He took a short moment to put himself back together, before he changed his appearance and left the apartment.

You needed a short moment yourself to process what you had just seen, before you came out of the bathroom. You darted you eyes down to the pieces of glass before you looked around for a broom. While you took care of this, you thought of Gabriel. You had noticed a change in his mood recently, signs of distress here and there, when he wasn't looking. He had never addressed those changes with you, and you had never mentioned them either. You had seen one of his eyes remain blue. It had surprised you to say the least, but you had managed to conceal it. You put the shattered glass in the bin and came back to the living room. There, you walked closer to the various snow globes on the table, all representing famous monuments from around the world. You didn't touch any of them though. It was too important for Sylar for you to risk to break another one.

Some time passed before you heard noises coming from behind the door. You disregarded your book and got up from the sofa when you heard a knock on the door. You hesitated first, in case it was the bald man again. But would it really matter? If he was Gabriel's secret ally he already knew. A kid's voice calling for Sylar brought you back to reality. After the first couple of seconds of stupefaction you walked to the door. A boy around twelve was standing there. Was this 'Rebel'?

“Hi, is Sylar there?” he inquired expectantly, seemingly just as surprised to see you as you were to see him.

“Hum, no. But... come in, I guess.” you replied, stepping aside. Your eyes lingered on him as he walked in. “Who are you?” you asked with perplexity and growing curiosity. “I heard you were called 'Rebel', why is that?”

He stared at you silently for a second. “You don't know what's happening out there? Sylar didn't tell you?” he asked, frowning a little confusedly.

You let out a little sigh and shook your head, rising your eyebrows cynically once. “Sylar doesn't tell me much. What is happening out there exactly?”

“The government is tracking and capturing people with...” he stopped a second, eyeing you a little suspiciously. But if you were with Sylar...

“Abilities?” you finished for him. “You have one too then, I guess.”

He seemed to relax and nodded. “I am technopath, I can command any electronic device.”

Your eyes grew wider with silent awe, impressed. Now that was a cool ability, very handy.

“Okay... so... you have been acting against... the government and they tried to stop you, right?” It made you feel a little dizzy to think how big it was.

He nodded again. “I am trying to help those they got hold of. I can hack into their system and surveillance cameras to warn people like us. You are one of us then?”

You nodded vaguely. “Yeah, I am.” Recently, the blessing had turned into a curse. “What do you want from Sylar? You know who he is... right?”

“I know what he did. But he can save us. He saved me tonight. He took a bullet for me.”

That, took you completely aback. It sounded so very much out of character. He must have had a very good reason to let this kid go, especially with such an ability within such easy reach. At that moment it didn't make sense to you: if he was working with that bald man, who apparently was working for the government, he had no reason to help this kid. He just had to take his ability and let them capture all the other specials. Then he just would have to sit at the table and wait for them to serve the meals, for the feast to begin. So what were you missing? Or was it linked to his recent behavior? That man was shrouded with mystery. Shifting your attention back to Rebel, you noticed how tired he seemed to be. So you offered him to take the couch until Sylar returned. He gratefully accepted and lied down, closing his eyes. You stared at him for a moment, arm-crossed against the wall, before you turned away from him.

Sitting on a chair, you were silently reading when you heard the door opening. You got up and walked into view, noticing Gabriel's gaze moving from the sleeping boy to you. You walked closer to him, speaking quietly.

“He arrived earlier, I told him to wait for you here.” you informed him, your eyes shining with question marks.

He nodded and glanced at him once again, before he walked past you without replying. Not willing to wake Rebel up or to start questioning Sylar, you didn't insist, for the moment. You considered that it would be better not to stay in the same room, and you could hear them talk from the kitchen anyway. So you sat there, pouring yourself a glass of water.

You looked up at the separating wall between the kitchen and the living room when you heard two voices rise. It was happening again: this virtual conversation with his mother. You listened silently, frowning with concern; he seemed to be losing it more and more. But at least you knew why he had spared the boy. A third voice joined in soon after: Micah? You listened, until Sylar threatened to kill him. You got up hastily as you heard someone hurrying towards the door. By the time you appeared in the hallway, Gabriel was at the door, alone. When he turned to you, you saw the tear running down his right cheek and he was panting. You didn't waste any time in words, but focused on your ability. A shaking, cheerful yet desperate laugh came out of his mouth. You turned around and quickly went back into the kitchen, closing the door behind you.

 

The night following this encounter and this revelation, Sylar was more distant with you. He must have realized how much of himself he had unwillingly showed to you. You had the presence of mind not to confront him with it, out of self preservation judging how he had threatened Rebel, and out of decency for him. It also made you realize that you had grown more caring towards him. A little more sympathetic. He was still a murderer, opening skulls and slicing throats, but in your mind he was more than that now. Perhaps he hadn't saved this boy selflessly, but he had.

The next morning, you were preparing breakfast for two when he emerged from the bedroom in sweatpants and a white shirt. You glanced up at him, to see him looking back at you. He seemed guarded, but also puzzled by your behavior. Perhaps did he expect you to think of him as a freak, a monster, after what you saw.

“Good morning.” you said rather evenly, pouring coffee into a mug for him.

“Good morning.” he repeated a bit quietly.

You started eating, feeling a tensed silence set in. Something you didn't want to see happen. So, despite the little risk you were taking, you spoke up again. “You knew this kid, Rebel, you called him by his name.”

He glanced up at you grimly for a second. “I acquired the ability to know an object's history by touching it. It revealed much about him.”

You nodded thoughtfully. “He said you could help us. Will you? I know you have been working with the government recently. You could double-cross them.”

His eyes narrowed as he stared at you. “Who do you think I act for?” he inquired sarcastically.

“For yourself.” you quickly finished your drink and got up to bring your empty plate and mug to the kitchen. “You have made that rather clear.”

“Then you should refrain from making stupid assumptions.” he retorted.

Great, that hadn't really had the expected effect. He was so messed up. You had heard and seen real, profound remorse when he relived the death of his adoptive mother in his trance. That he was somewhat capable of empathy, at least when it reminded him of himself. Crying out for love. He didn't exactly make it easy. You didn't love him, but you felt something. You came back to the living room to see him get up from the table. Somehow, you couldn't let it go.

“You will never be close to anyone if you don't try to, you know?” He stopped mid-movement, turning his face towards you to stare at you intensely, daring you to continue. “You got bogged down in your loneliness because you are not even trying.”

Anger and hurt crossed his face before he walked to you, grabbed your shoulders and pressed you against the wall. First he glared at you, but then a smirk painted his lips. He leaned closer, his mouth hovering over your neck, his chest so close to yours. Your breathing quickened, a mix of fear and excitement making your hairs rise on your skin.

“It seems I don't really need to try too much for you to like me.” he stated, sarcasm and satisfaction dripping from his still anger-tainted voice. “You can push me away from you if you want, I won't do anything, but somehow I don't think you want to. Funny how Stockholm syndrome works.” You exhaled a bit shakily, holding tightly onto Sylar's upper arms. This situation was starting to turn you on. “You try so hard to see the good in people... what good do you see in me? I would take your life within seconds if I wanted to. The moment I no longer need you, I will.”

You swallowed, but not out of fear. “We'll see. But right now I doubt it.” Adrenaline and growing desire were rushing through your body.

Gabriel narrowed his eyes at you. “Why would I make an exception for you? I have been using you from the beginning. You are a handy toy, ____.”

Somehow, you could tell that even he was doubting his own words. “Maybe you will, but for now, I'm still useful.” you retorted.

Then, as if to prove your point, you ignited his joy. He inhaled sharply, smiled uncontrollably, and let out an ironic chuckle. When he opened his eyes again, anger had faded into something else. His hazel eyes contemplated you a second, before he leaned in and crashed his full lips against yours.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Sylar become more intimate, and you meet a new face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut in this chapter. So I changed the rating to "explicit", because I just can't seem to write smut without being explicit. xD  
> Just one chapter left before the end. Enjoy!

                                                           

 

A muffled, uncontrolled and lustful moan came out of your mouth, while Gabriel kept pressing his lips against your own. Your body was heating up with desire, now brushing against his. Greedily, your hands moved from his arms to his toned chest. You weren't even touching his skin yet, but it felt entirely different from the massages you gave him. Definitely more thrilling. His hands left your shoulders to run up your neck and grab your nape and your hair. His warm, soft, luscious lips were moving against yours roughly, hungrily. For the first time since you met him, you were engulfed with a soothing, soft feeling of bliss.

His tongue soon pushed past your lips, and you tasted the strong flavor of coffee. You tangled your tongue with his, giving into the repressed, slowly-building lust you had cultivated for him. Your hand greedily slipped under his shirt to feel his hairy, soft chest. Your sex was demanding more and more attention, and by the way his own was pressing against you, the feeling was mutual. Sylar pulled you away from the wall suddenly, leading you around the room without breaking the kiss. He laid you down onto the couch, getting on top of you right away.

He freed your mouth and you opened your eyes, but he was already attacking your neck, sending shivers of pleasure and lust through your skin. You hastily pushed his shirt up and over his head, your hands wasting no time in sliding over his chest and back. Impatient, Sylar straightened and tore open your shirt with his telekinesis. The spark of desire in his hazel eyes was enthralling. He leaned forward quickly again, his mouth now claiming your skin with kisses and bites.

“Who would have thought it would come to this?” he said sarcastically, his hands working on opening your pants. “Not having second thoughts about fucking a murderer?” His voice was now a breathy growl, definitely arousing.

This was definitely the last thing you wanted to think about right now. “Shut up...” You retorted a bit firmly and sent joy to him. He chuckled amusedly and lustfully but didn't add anything, pushing your pants down your legs.

You gasped and your hips jerked up wantonly as you felt Sylar's fingers on your sex. You were more than eager for the pleasure he was promising to give you, after everything that happened. You closed your eyes at the sensation of his lips wrapping around your nipple, sending soft sparks of pleasure through you, increasing your arousal. And that coupled to his fingers stroking your sex was leaving you moaning and a bit breathless. You definitely had missed this kind of intimacy, and you didn't care if it came from him. Better still, you wanted him.

You moaned louder when you felt his tongue and lips on your sex. Your eyes opened and you saw him staring up at you with a mischievous look. A second later, you were forced back down with your head on the couch. You closed your eyes again, surrendering to the pleasure he was giving you. You grabbed a fistful of his dark hair, but didn't direct his movements and he didn't stop you. The rub of his tongue, his lips and fingers on your sex was building your pleasure rather quickly to its peak and you came with an ecstatic moan, your body tensing and spasming softly. You inhaled deeply, basking in a soft feeling of bliss, as you felt him straightening.

“It seems you were wrong: you aren't the only one able to give joy.” he provoked with a smirk.

You eyed him with a mix of amusement and defiance as you sat up, but didn't say anything. Instead you reached forward and pushed him down onto the sofa, in the same position you were a moment ago. This time, you felt in control, and judging by the curious and lascivious gleam in his eyes, it didn't really bother him. He watched intensely as you pushed his pants down and freed his erection. He was leaking with pre-cum so hard he was, and you didn't want to make him wait any longer. So, running your fingers through the soft hairs of his chest, you lowered your face to his abs, peppering his skin with kisses on your way down to his cock. You wrapped your lips around his tip, only to hear him sigh and growl in pleasure. What a nice, new sound.

The sensation of his hard length filling your mouth, the taste of his pre-cum on your tongue, all this was even more enjoyable than you would have thought. His constant moaning and panting was a pleasant reward. You looked up into his face sometimes, to see his full lips parted and his eyes closed, his neck offered to your view. Or to see his dilated pupils fixed on you, while you let you lips slide up and down along his shaft. It was liberating to be able to be intimate with someone, with him, with no risk of disease, just enjoying the moment. You could hear from his heavy breathing and his body language that he was getting closer and closer to his own release. You looked back up into his eyes, to see his pleasure-stricken face. There was just a little something missing. You doubled your efforts, sucking harder and faster, until you thought he was on the edge of his climax. Then, you used your ability. His face brightened in complete rapture, intense joy taking over his mind, while he came into your mouth. You swallowed his cum and rode out his orgasm, licking and sucking his cock, admiring his expression. He looked radiant. So different.

When he opened his eyes again, visibly tired and slightly groggy, you pulled away from him. You sat back on the sofa, panting softly yourself, and smiling ever so slightly. You glanced at him once, before you got up and made your way to the bathroom, going for a hot shower now. You left him alone to recover, perhaps think about what just happened. When you got out of the bathroom after your shower, Sylar was gone. You hadn't heard him open and close the door. Surely, he was moving on to the next step of his plans, whatever they were. You just hoped that somehow, he would change his mind and help Rebel and the others.

\-----

A few days later, after receiving his dose of joy, he left you alone in the flat. For a while you read your current book, before you turned on the TV. First you watched absentmindedly, until a politician started his speech. You vaguely knew who he was, Senator Nathan Petrelli, talking about restructuring the government, asking with clear passive-aggressiveness to meet the President. You had seen this man a few times on TV, but didn't know much about him, just a little about his politics. He didn't mention anything specific, but somehow you guessed it was related to what you and Rebel had discussed. You couldn't help but worry. About this kid, who you hoped was safe at that moment, about those people special like you, and for yourself. But, something was amiss in this picture. Noah Bennet, knowing you had an ability as well, could have just kept you locked up somewhere. Did he have a hidden agenda? Or did they just consider that 'giving other people joy' wasn't dangerous enough for you to be hunted down? You weren't exactly used to dealing with government agents and moles.

Gabriel didn't come back to the flat that night. It didn't surprise you anymore whenever he did this. Although you had been intimate again after the first time, he had never really confided in you. Vaguely, sometimes. Not enough for you to understand his schemes. It bothered you, but it was out of your grip. A strong succession of knocks on the front door made you flinch and tore you out of your thoughts. For a serial killer on the loose, Sylar was oddly popular. You got up and walked to the door, only to be greeted by a young man's grim look.

“____?” he inquired, his eyes narrowing and his eyebrows knitting for a second. He seemed to be in a hurry. You quickly nodded, waiting for him to continue. “My name is Peter Petrelli, Rebel told me I would find you here.”

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You follow Peter to try and stop Sylar. (spoilers 'An Invisible Thread' 3:25)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of my story. I hope you enjoyed it, and again thank you for the kudos!

                                                                       

 

You frowned deeply, dumbstruck. “You are... Senator Petrelli's brother, right? I have seen his last speech about changing the government.” If he had been in touch with Rebel, did it mean he had an ability? This was kind of confusing.

“Except it wasn't my brother.” he assured firmly, a hint of anger in his voice.

Your eyes widened as it hit you like an anvil. “Sylar.” you breathed out, looking blankly at the wall next to his face. The pieces were coming back together now. You stared up at him again. “Why are you here?”

“Sylar is planning to approach the President. If he succeeds, he will be able to turn into him whenever he wants. We can't let him do that. My brother went after him to stop him, but he can't do it alone. Sylar has absorbed too many powers.” he explained insistently, doing his best to try and convince you, apparently. It was a matter of life and death.

“You want me to help you? I don't see what I can do... my ability is to send a joyful feeling to people.” you looked at Peter apologetically. But as you appeared thoughtful then, he waited a second, his eyebrows rising expectantly when you frowned. “Perhaps there is something I can do. I could procure him an intense and long feeling of joy.” As Peter looked nonplussed and doubtful, you pursued. “Yeah, it sounds weird I know. But my ability plunges people into some kind of euphoric trance. I think I can distract him long enough to incapacitate him, while you neutralize him.” you explained.

This time Peter nodded firmly. “Now that I have been in your presence, I could use it myself, but we'll need as much help as we can get. We have to go now, Nathan is already after Sylar.” You jumped into your shoes and followed Peter out of the building.

When you arrived at the Capitol, you rushed to Nathan's office with Peter. There you both found the Senator, visibly weak. Peter quickly introduced you to his brother, explaining that Rebel put him in contact with you because he thought that you could help. Not wasting any more time, you helped take Nathan out of the Capitol and you all quickly made your way to Stanton Hotel. You watched as the Senator levitated over the ground to grant you access. You feared for a second that the guards were going to shoot him, and you were ready to send them all joy to stop them, but gladly you didn't have to. You were led further inside, hurrying through the corridors to stop Sylar. You were growing more and more anxious, because you knew that there would be a fight. You didn't know what Peter could do exactly, but Nathan could fly. You feared it wouldn't be enough. You had to stay unseen, you didn't want to imagine what Sylar was going to do if he saw you there, betraying him.

A suite door flew open and a blonde girl was thrown against the wall, breaking a flower pot. You stopped in your tracks, not coming into view. Gabriel was just on the other side of this wall, and you wished very hard he wouldn't come out right now. But, it would also be the right moment to use your power. The Petrelli's suddenly flew into the room before the doors slammed shut and the girl rushed to try and open them. The light of blue sparks was reflected on the wall. The unknown girl, visibly distressed, turned to you.

“Whoever you are, if you can do something, do it!” she nearly shouted at you.

This tore you out of your stupor, and you closed your eyes to focus. You hoped it was the right moment. You heard a thud, followed with Sylar yelling your name in fury. Everything stopped, and the girl pushed the door open. You peeked inside, seeing feathers flying all around the suite, furniture scattered on the ground and a fire starting. You entered after her, finding Peter injured. You stayed a few feet behind, hoping that somehow you had helped these strangers. As you ran out of the suite to go after Sylar and Nathan, a limping Peter turned to you.

“It worked. He was distracted for a moment. But now he knows you are here, you shouldn't come.” he said breathlessly as you followed the blonde through the hallways. You hadn't come all this way to back down now.

“No, I am coming with you. At least for now.”

You were scared at the thought of facing Sylar, but even though you had grown warmer towards him, and he towards you until a moment ago, you knew he had to be stopped. You met with Noah Bennet, pointing his gun at the girl, Claire, suspiciously. Sylar must have taken her identity. Once he was sure she was really his daughter and he asked Peter if he had taken Sylar's ability, Bennet turned to you. He nodded at you, understanding that you were fighting on their side.

After guards threatened you and Claire showed how badass she was, Peter left alone to find the President, or something belonging to him, and stop Sylar. First you insisted to go with him, but Bennet convinced you to stay back, explaining what he intended to do. Peter didn't need you anymore, if he could turn into the President, he just had to let Sylar come to him. At this point, Gabriel would surely be too confident, too close to his goal to be distrustful. You hoped that Peter would come out alive of this, and actually, you hoped the same for Gabriel.

You remained with Bennet the whole time, even though he asked you to go. You wouldn't go anywhere before all this was over. You needed some kind of closure after everything that happened, and you knew that you would never have it if you just walked out now. So, unlike Peter and Claire who went off looking for Nathan, you stood in the hotel room when Noah laid down Sylar's unconscious body onto the couch. The elegant looking woman who eyed you like you didn't belong here seemed on the verge of tears, struck with deep sorrow. And you knew why. You stared at the sleeping Gabriel sadly. You had considered sending joy to Mrs Petrelli at first, but it would have been crossing the line.

At first, you listened silently as they all argued about their next move, especially Matt, who was here to do something specific. But then, as you were starting to feel very bad to witness this, Bennet turned to you and asked you to wait outside. Finally, you agreed. They clearly all knew one another, and you were just standing there as an outsider. You glanced one last time at the unconscious man who abducted you, before you exited the room. Leaning against the door with your arms crossed, looking down at the floor grimly, you listened to the muffled conversation taking place beyond the wall. They were going to 'kill' Gabriel, everything that made him, him. Everything that made him dangerous. He would definitely be out of your life. You would be free. He hadn't been exactly right: Stockholm syndrome didn't work funnily. For a moment you wondered... if you hadn't followed Peter, would it have unfolded the same way? You would have waited for him to come back to the flat where he left you, only for him to never come back. Had you made a real difference? It didn't matter. What mattered was that you will have known what will have happened to him. Closure.

When the door opened again, Matt walked out first, addressing you a worried, troubled look that you returned to him. He didn't stop, just telling you to talk to Bennet. Then, it was Mrs Petrelli's and Nathan's turn to step out. Your eyes grew a bit wide as you locked eyes with him, but you said nothing as his mother glared at you so you would keep your mouth shut. You watched the back of Nathan's head as he walked away with her, until Noah called for you. You turned to him to see him motioning you to come in. You complied, looking down at the now empty couch. Sylar was gone. You were really realizing that for the first time. It was no longer an abstract thought.

“Thank you for your help, ___.” Bennet started, a little friendly smile on his lips.

You turned back to him. “That was Sylar... wasn't it?”

His smile disappeared and he shook his head. “This was Nathan Petrelli. Sylar is dead and his body is at the morgue.” he objected, stressing the important words of his sentences.

You sighed, nodding slowly. “Yeah. Yeah he is.”

Noah repeated your last gesture and pursued. “I will make sure that you get your job and your flat back. You won't have to worry about Sylar ever again. Or about us. You will have to keep all this to yourself, you understand?” Again, you nodded, and as he seemed satisfied with your answer, he finished. “I will call a taxi for you, you can wait in the hall.”

You glanced up at him one last time before you walked out of the suite. You felt strange thinking that you would go back to your previous life after what happened during the last couple of months. You would go back to the spa, back to your massages and your sparks of joy. The ones you gave to others. You had the feeling that it would take you some time, and that you would continue to wake up at night with bloody memories glued to your mind.

As you passed the doors and walked down the corridor, you vaguely heard Bennet calling someone on the phone. You waited for the taxi in the hall, lost in your thoughts, a melancholic feeling not leaving you. When the car parked in front of the hotel, you stood up. You gave the driver the address of your flat after you sat down at the back. On the way, you let your gaze trail on the buildings, the people in the street. When you opened the car door and looked at the entrance of your building, you noticed someone. The black man who had been standing next to Bennet back at the skyscraper a month ago was standing there, staring back at you.

 


End file.
